President Chen Shui-bian (
"The CCP had convened a meeting on Dec. 2 to decide using all the means of the media, Internet and Taiwanese businessmen in China to attack me. The presidential election next year is not my personal election nor that of the Democratic Progressive Party [DPP] to retain the administration; it's a fight of the unified Taiwanese people against the CCP," Chen said yesterday.
He said the more democratic Taiwan is, the more oppression from China it faces. China's concentration of attacks through the media, Internet and Taiwanese businessmen in China is to further isolate Taiwan.
"China has always tried to use all possible means to interfere with Taiwan's election. But we have to tell them: The people of Taiwan will determine our own future and choose our own leader. The 2004 poll is an election to counter China. Taiwan will never fail, and our democracy will prevail," Chen told a huge rally of nearly 30,000 people last night at Pu-chih township, Chiayi County.
The DPP yesterday established its campaign headquarters in southern Chiayi County, one of the DPP's strongholds.
President Chen said since the DPP came to power, the party has initiated numerous construction plans, turning the situation around where constructions in the southern agricultural county has long been neglected.
"Lien Chan (連戰), the Chinese Nationalist Party's (KMT) presidential candidate had said if he was elected, he would build a branch of the National Palace Museum in Taichung. In that case, the long-time wish of the Chiayi people to have a national museum will be disappointed yet again. We must not let that happen," Chen said.
However, in a campaign rally that attracted tens of thousand of supporters last night in Hsin-ying, KMT Chairman Lien kept slamming Chen for his revealing the exact number of missiles China is aiming at Taiwan.
"The Taiwan agents collecting intelligence in China prove their love for Taiwan by risking their lives. Those anonymous heroes are greater than any so-called `son of Taiwan' or `father of Taiwan,'" Lien said.
He said that no national leader should reveal any classified information collected by the nation's intelligence agents.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
Taiwan-Japan Travel Passes are available for use on public transit networks in the two countries, Taoyuan Metro Corp said yesterday, adding that discounts of up to 7 percent are available. Taoyuan Metro, the Taipei MRT and Japan’s Keisei Electric Railway teamed up to develop the pass. Taoyuan Metro operates the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line, while Keisei Electric Railway offers express services between Tokyo’s Narita Airport, and the Keisei Ueno and Nippori stations in the Japanese capital, as well as between Narita and Haneda airports. The basic package comprises one one-way ticket on the Taoyuan MRT Line and one Skyliner ticket on
A new tropical storm formed late yesterday near Guam and is to approach closest to Taiwan on Thursday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Tropical Storm Pulasan became the 14th named storm of the year at 9:25pm yesterday, the agency said. As of 8am today, it was near Guam traveling northwest at 21kph, it said. The storm’s structure is relatively loose and conditions for strengthening are limited, WeatherRisk analyst Wu Sheng-yu (吳聖宇) said on Facebook. Its path is likely to be similar to Typhoon Bebinca, which passed north of Taiwan over Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and made landfall in Shanghai this morning, he said. However, it
Starlux Airlines, Taiwan’s newest international carrier, has announced it would apply to join the Oneworld global airline alliance before the end of next year. In an investor conference on Monday, Starlux Airlines chief executive officer Glenn Chai (翟健華) said joining the alliance would help it access Taiwan. Chai said that if accepted, Starlux would work with other airlines in the alliance on flight schedules, passenger transits and frequent flyer programs. The Oneworld alliance has 13 members, including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas, and serves more than 900 destinations in 170 territories. Joining Oneworld would also help boost